BEIJING - Pakistan can take an initiative to manufacture low cost solar panels locally in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) built under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework.
According to a renewable energy expert and consultant in Pakistan, China is the leader in solar technology right now. Pakistan should work with China to manufacture solar panels in Pakistan inside the SEZs, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.
“It will lower its cost for local population and will help create job opportunities. Imported solar panels are costly, despite tax and duties exemption. Therefore, it would be better for us to manufacture our own solar panels in Pakistan.”
He said, the manufacturing of the solar panels locally will make it affordable for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to install these systems in their homes and factories.
According to solar experts, an area needs a minimum of four hours of peak sunlight in order to produce electricity that is economical. In this regard, Pakistan is the most blessed country that has sunlight most of the areas for more than 300 days, and that too with 7 to 8 peak hours of sunlight.
The unbearable electricity crises in Pakistan have greatly affected not only the daily lives of people but businesses and industries as well.
Although, since the past couple of years, the government has attempted to resolve the issue of load shedding, but the gap in the demand and the production of electric energy is so vast that it cannot be covered with the current electric energy production sources alone.